kaTTuvevu nAvu (We shall build )

So far as the
essential Adiga is concerned, this second collection is a false
step. The title poem, for instance, begins with the declaration "We
shall build a new land" and goes on to enumerate the hopes of the
poet. The predominant idiom of the poems in this collection, like that
of the poems in bhAvataranga, is musical, and these poems are
also "poetical". An attempt is made to deal with so-called
non-poetical subjects, but none of the poems in this collection
escapes the influence of the musical idiom.

Mohana MuraLi
Poets have wondered about the mystical nature of the notes
on KrishNa's flute. In "Mohana MuraLi," M. GopalakrishNa Adiga asks :

"Which are those beautiful notes on flute
that beckon you to the distant shores?
Which brindAvana has cast its spell
on your earthen eyes?''
When this poem first appeared, it charmed the Kannada literary
world. The metaphor "maNNina kaNNu" was so novel to Kannada language.
The poem is not as "navya" as Adiga's later poems are, but it made
waves. There were several interpretations
of the same poem. Interestingly, poet "puTina" thought it was a lament
of a courtesan woman whose lover has abandoned
her! Now, after more than 25 years since the poem appeared,
it is common to interpret the poem as a soliloquy of a
person who has had his first mystical experience and finds
his earthly possessions, which he once valued more than
anything else, somehow pallid. "maNNina kaNNU" refers to the eye which
beholds only the earthly wealth.

A second interpretation of Adiga's poem is about his
own dissatisfaction about the kind of poetry he and other
contemporary poets had been writing. The "navoDaya"
period of Kannada literature had seen its best days
and poetry had reached a point of stagnation. Enough
had been written about "chandra" "chandana" "baahubandhana" and
"chumbana"! The poet was beginning to feel that
it was time to move on. "nadeDu banDa Daariya kaDege
Tirugi nOda bEda!" Adiga wrote in another of his landmark
poems. Along with other contemporary writers -- Narasimha
Swamy, Nissar Ahmad, Anantha Murthy, Ramanujan, Lankesh,
SumaTeenda Naadig and several others -- Adiga was
able to maneuver Kannada poetry into the "navya" period.

A bright red lotus has bloomed today
To passers-by, what a fragrant Entree!
The wind, the bees, or the gentle spray:
Who needs an invitation to a party, eh?

The water trembled gleefully,
Tickled by the golden rays.
In how many ways do I love thee?
The bee's busy counting the ways ...
The lotus blushed;
And turned scarlet in face:
Look! His chariot of seven horses
Race through the eastern skyways ...

In every one of his million hands
He carries a tangled web of love.
The lotus was charmed. The buzzing of the bees
Waned; it seemed pale somehow.

She ignores the bees around
And waits for the sun, my lotus red.
Will morrow's dream take the form of sun?